Pin setting device



July 24, 1956 A. SUTER 2,756,052

PIN SETTING DEVICE Filed NOV. 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: ADOLF SUTER) HIS neg/v T5. I

July 24, 1956 A. SUTER 2,756,052

PIN SETTING DEVICE Filed Nov. 24. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ELECTEONAGNET IN V EN TOR: ADOLF suTER,

Ma. -m,

H/S AGENTS- United States Patent PIN SETTING DEVICE Adolf Suter, Lucerne, Switzeriand Application November 24, 1953, Serial No. 394,170

7 Claims. (Cl. 27344) The present invention relates to bowling alleys, and relates more particularly to an automatic device for resetting the pins on the pin field of the bowling alleys, and has as its primary object to provide such a device in which the entangling of the pull cords for the bowling pins is substantially eliminated.

It is another object of the invention to provide ,a device of the kind referred to in which the operative members occupy a minimum of space and are of simple construction.

Generally speaking, the instant pin setting device is disposed above the pin field of the bowling alley, and is arranged to pull upwardly all of the pins off the pin field by means of cords into a position wherein the pins abut from below against the bottom of the device. In that position the pins are vertically suspended exactly above their assigned positions on the pin field, and the pins may thereafter be lowered by gravity onto the field. Means are provided, where a bowling game is to be made with some designated pins only, to hold the remaining pins suspended on the device, while the designated pins are lowered by their cords onto the pin field.

This and other features of my invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment thereof is represented semidiagrammatically by way of example, and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view partly in horizontal section, at a level above the field on which the pins are set, with the drum in the release position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale, in the pulling-up position.

Fig. 3 shows the same detail as Fig. 2 in the release position.

Fig. 4 is a section along the lines 44 of Figs. 1 and 2, also on an enlarged scale, and showing by Way of example a form of construction of the holding-up means for theskittles, and

Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing a wiring diagram.

Above the pin field on which the pins are set a stationary hollow cylinder 101 is suspended, the axis of which is vertical. In its interior a drum 102 is mounted rotatable about a vertical shaft coaxially to and on the same horizontal level as the said hollow cylinder 101. On a pitch circle within the said drum 102 storage reels 1, 2 to 9 are pivoted each on a vertical axle. Each of these storage reels has a serrated disc 141 (Fig. 4) which engages coaxially into another serrated disc 142. By loosening or tightening a screw 143 it is thereby possible to turn each of these storage reels and then to secure the same in the position adjusted so that accordingly from each storage reel a selected length of cord 105 can be unwound.

Instead of the aforesaid serrated disc and clamping screw, a ratchet wheel could be fixedly connected to each storage reel, and a spring biased pawl pivoted on the said.

drum in operative engagement with the said ratchet wheel, the said pawl in the disengaged position allowing the said storage reel to be turned about its axis with consequential adjustment of the efiective length of the associated tension cord, and in the engaged position arresting the said storage reel in the position adjusted.

The mantle of the drum 102 has on its outer circumference ribs 103 and grooves 104. These ribs extend as closely as possible towards the inner surface of the hollow cylinder 101 so that in any case the cords can not pass between these ribs and the hollow cylinder 101. The grooves 104 form accordingly substantially closed annular spaces, the cross section area of which is a multiple of the cord cross section so that the cords can be laid in these annular spaces in loose loops. To each storage reel a narrow passage aperture is coordinated which leads into one of the said annular spaces 104. These apertures are denoted 11, 12 to 19, and allow the tension cords to be pulled through without substantial clearance. In the hollow cylinder 101, there are also provided apertures designated 21, 22 to 29, and a leaf spring 105 (Figs. 2, 3) is associated with each and serves as a braking means. These leaf springs 106 tend to arrest the cords, but allow the same to be pulled through by the application of a small tensile force. For this reason the apertures 21, 22 to 29 will be referred to in what follows as brake apertures. The cords are passed from these brake apertures over deflector rollers 31, 32 to 39 to the bowling pins. Below the deflector rollers 31, 32 to 39 an abutment plate 107 is suspended horizontally which has a passage hole 41, 42 to 49 for the tension cord of each pin, these passage holes being disposed accurately above the spots at which each pin is to be put up on the pin field. At this abutment plate 107 the heads of the pins abut, after having been pulled upward by the cord 105, being unable to penetrate through the holes 41, 42 to 49. Below each of these holes a holding means 108 is arranged which is constructed as an armature with a magnet coil. When the magnet coil concerned is connected to current (see Fig. 5), the armature fixes the associated pin 110 with the built-in counterplate 109 in the pulling-up position (Fig. 4), and release the same when no longer under current. Above the drum 102 there is mounted a cam 111 which cooperates with two control switches 1121, 1122.

The electric circuit is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5. A motor M is provided that has a shaft MW which is in driving connection with the hollow drum 102. The motor M is rotatable in opposite directions, and for this purpose is provided with two opposite windings W1 and W2. Two lead in wires In are provided which are interconnected to an electric source.

Two. circuits are provided, one for each of the windings W1 and W2, and both circuits are interconnected to the wires In for energizing from the source.

The first circuit includes a hand switch S common to both circuits, a conduit 11, the switch 1122, the winding W1, and a lead [0 common to both circuits. The said first circuit is energized, when the switch 1122 is closed, by tilting upwardly the switch S to the position S (shown in dash-and-dot lines); this will actuate the motor M to turn the hollow drum 102 in the direction N (Fig. 1).

The second circuit includes the switch S, the lead lo, a conduit [2, the switch 1121, and the winding W2. It is energized, when the switch 1121 is closed, by tilting the switch S downwardly into the position S (shown in dash-double-dot lines); this will actuate the motor M to turn the drum 102 into a direction opposite to the direction N (Fig. 1).

In the central position of the switch S (shown in solid lines in Fig. 5), the switch S does not energize either of from below with, the plate 107 (Fig. 4), while when the second circuit is energized (position S) the pins 110 are released to descend by gravity onto the pin field below the device.

The switches 1121 and 1122 (Figs. 1 and 5) are controlled by the cam 111. In Fig. l, the switch 112.1 is shown open, which means that when the switch S is turned downwardly into the position S, the second circuit will still remain interrupted. If the switch 5, however, is turned upwardly into the position S, the drum 102 will turn in the direction N until the cam 111 opens the switch 1122.

As pointed out before, magnetic holding means 103 are provided for each of the nine pins 110 (Fig. 4 As best shown in Fig. 5, a separate coil is provided for each holding means 108, and designated m1, m2. ms, and they are all connected to one of the wires In, in parallel to the aforesaid circuits. The other wire In is connected to a bus bar B that is provided with a series of sockets. Each of the coils is interconnected to a plug to fit the assigned socket, for instance the coil 17 11 is interconnected to the plug s1, the coil mg to the plug s2, and so forth.

In Fig. 5, the plugs are shown inserted in the sockets for the sixth, seventh and eighth pin, and all the other ones disconnected. This means that in the release position of the drum 102, all the pins except the aforesaid three pins will descend onto the pin field; but pins Nos. 6, 7 and 8 will remain suspended in the abutting position in the holding means 108. This is for the purpose where a game is to be played with only six designated of the nine pins.

The operation of the device illustrated is as follows: When the drum 102 is in its rest position according to Fig. l, i. e. in the release position, the narrow passage apertures 11, 12 to 19 are approximately opposite the brake apertures 21, 22 to 29. The tension cords 105 form normally in their associated grooves 104 short loops so that the pins set up on the pin field (not shown) can freely drop and roll off when the pins are struck by the ball in that the brakingsprings 106 allow the tension cords to be pulled through when the pins fall. The cords of those pins which do not partake in the succeeding game are kept held up by their holding means 108 having their associated magnet coils connected to current, and form longer loops in their grooves 104. After the ball has been thrown, a control member can be released which through electrical or pneumatic controland drive means, for example a servo-motor, effect the turning of the drum 102 a predetermined angle in the direction of the arrow N, until the cam 111 operates, instead of the control switch 1121, the control switch 1122. This position is illustrated in Fig. 2. It forms the resetting position, in which the cords 105 are each stretched, and run through the corresponding annular spaces 104 to the associated braking apertures 21, 22 to 29. The individual storage reels are adjusted permanently in such a manner that in this resetting position the heads of the pins 110 abut from below against the abutment plate 107. Immediately after the operation of the control switch 1122 thedrum 102 is turned back in the direction opposite to that of the arrow N the same angle, until by the cam 1111 again the control switch 1122 is operated as according to Fig. 1, whereupon the driving members are brought to a standstill; then the narrow apertures lie again approximately opposite their associated braking apertures.

During this return into the release position those pins, whose associated holding means 103 have their magnet coil not connected to current and accordingly are not retained in the abutment will descend by gravity to the pin field below and will pull the cords by their weight against the action of the braking springs 106 out of the braking apertures 21, 22 to 29 and out of the annular spaces 104 until the skittles stand up on the pin field. The drum 102, however, turns back even a little further in order to allow the formation of the short loops in the annular spaces required for the susbequent free knocking down of the pins. The cords of those pins which are retained by the holding means 103 in the abutting position against the plate 107 form correspondingly longer loops in the annular spaces.

The instant pin setting mechanism has the advantage that entangling of the tension cords takes place much less frequently than in devices hitherto in existence, and that the corresponding members occupy much less space, and are constructed simpler.

While I have described and illustrated what may be considered a typical and particularly useful embodiment of my said invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular details and dimensions described and illustrated, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A pin setting device comprising in combination: a plurality of pins grouped around a center, setting means including a tension cord, a deflector roller and a cord storage reel associated with each one or" the said pins, a stationary hollow cylinder and a rotatable drum mounted coaxially with the center, the said storage reels being pivoted on a pitch circle inside the said drum, circular ribs spaced axially from one another provided on the outer periphery of said drum with small clearance between their edges and the inner circumference of the said stationary hollow cylinder, the said tension cords running from the said storage reels through holes in the said drum, through the annular spaces between the said ribs and through holes in the said hollow cylinder over the said deflector rollers to the top of each one of the said pins, and braking means mounted on the said hollow cylinder adjacent each of the said holes therein, and resiliently bearing on the associated tension cord.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising in addition: a serrated disc fixedly connected to each one of the said storage reels, a serrated disc coaxially arranged to each one of the aforesaid serrated discs and fixed to the said drum, and detachable clamping means allowing in the released position the angular adjustment of the said storage reels about their axes and consequential adjustment of the effective length of the said tension cords, and in the tightened position arresting the said storage reels in their adjusted positions.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising an addition: a ratchet wheel fixedly connected to each of the said storage reels, and a spring-biased pawl operatively engaging the said ratchet wheel pivoted on the said drum and allowing in the disengaged position the turning of its associated storage reel about its axis and consequential adjustment of the etfective length of the associated tension cord, and in the engaged position arresting the said storage reel in its adjusted position.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said braking means comprise each a leaf spring fixedly attached to the outer circumference of the said hollow cylinder ad jacent the said holes therein, and operatively engaging the said tension cords passing through the said holes.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising in addition: a control cam mounted on the said rotatable drum, two stationary control switches positioned at two different points on the path of the said cam and cooperating with the same, and drive means operatively connected to the said drum and to the said switches, turning the said drum from a rest position in which it releases the said pins a predetermined angle to a working position in which it pulls up the said pins upon the said control cam operat' ing one of the said switches, and turning the said drum back the same angle upon the said cam operating the other one of the said switches.

6. In a device for resetting pins on a pin field, in corn-' bination, a mechanism disposed above said pin field and the other rotatable in opposite directions, the stationary drum having apertures, cord reeling means disposed on the rotatable drum, each cord passing through an aperture of said stationary drum, each pin being suspended on a cord for raising and lowering of said pin, as said rotatable drum is moved in opposite directions paying out and reeling in, respectively, said cords through said apertures, annular flange means formed on said rotatable drum and disposed adjacent the Wall of said stationary drum and operable to support a loop portion of said cord when said cord is slackened, and means operable for turning said rotatable drum in opposite directions.

7. In a device as claimed in claim 6, together with, electromagnetic means actuatable for selectively suspending any of said pins in the raised position independently of its cord.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

